RC7 mixed with smaller ref. L&R

[zamboniman]

What are your thoughts or experiences with using an RC7 with some smaller L,R, and surrounds? Somethign like RB25's?

Sub is svs 2039+

Just no way the budget will allow an entire R7 setup, however I think I could squeeze the RC7 in there.

Listening to all of the ref centers... The RC7 is just awesome. Thinking that's where most of the HT audio is... Perhaps that's where to focus the $$$

Any ideas on how it would blend with the smaller others?

Just brain storming here so don't be afraid to whip me on this one.

[Zen Traveler]

I have an RC-7 that I run with some RB-75's that works great with my Denon AVR. You will have to adjust the gain down on the RC-7 (or up on the RB 25's). IMO it will work and sound good--But I would be on the lookout for RF-7's, RF-5's or RB-75's (in that order) either used or on sale evidutally to use as your mains. Evidently you are on a budget and I would stick to it.

A couple of other options to consider, if you are open to buying used, would be:

1) If space is an issue, finding a pair of RB-5's (Bookshelf) would be a good match to use with the RC-7 (or RC-3 if you can find one)

2) If space isn't an issue finding a pair of KLF 20's or 30 towers to use with a KLF C-7 center(legend series) would be a sweet set up for about the cost you would be paying for the RC-7/RB-25 combo, new. Good Luck

[Sanman023]

you should be fine...just calibrate using an spl meter...the ref speakers blend really well...

[Zen Traveler]

Zam,

I just saw your in progress set up in the "Show me" thread. It's going to be VERY nice. If you are going to spend that kind of money on peripheries, I definitely would consider better mains to go with the RC-7!

[marksdad]

no you are fine do as someone suggested and do the spl thing, remember that the lions share of ht comes from the center channel (70-80%), so do not worry about the so called peripheries, it depends alot on room size, and personal choice, just keep withing the same series, what you have will do good for now, finally someone with the good sense to buy an adequate center channel. you will hear all dialog clearly and you will be surprised how much is missed by small center channels, good job

[Bret_Salyer]

Consider this:

I had a Synergy system 6 which I was happy with. It is a good entry level system which you can drive hard with about any quality receiver and it sounds really crisp.

I thought I just needed some towers for 2 channel listening. I bought the RF-7's and

I had to buy all the others 7's to go with them they are that good.

Buy the best you can afford and save your money because I am just thinking when you get the RC-7 you will instantly be dreaming about the day you have the rest of the 7's!

[Zen Traveler]

My final thoughts after reading other posts and seeing your potential HT is that RB-25's will sound fine. Will they work as well as the other speakers I have mentioned? IMHO, not for your left and right mains, especially if you are going to the trouble of building a dedicated HT room.

It is true that most dialog in movies comes out of your center channel, but it is only one of three speakers for your front sound stage. Can you adjust the gain with an SPL meter so all front speakers have the same level? Yes. Will the quality of sound coming from 2 speakers with 5 inch horns (1" driver) and single 6.5" woofer compare with speakers using an 8" horn (1.75" driver} and either 1 or 2, 8" to 10" woofers? Maybe to some peoples ears, but demo it yourself.

The RC-7 has 2, 8" woofers with an 8" Horn (1.75" driver). Matching them with comparable front mains will give you more of the WOW factor in movies and will be tremendously more beneficial for music, effects, & soundtrack.

I own 7 different models of Klipsch reference speakers and I can attest that they all timber match well--But your front mains are just as important as your center channel when it comes to movies, unless all you are concerned with is dialog. My 2 cents...

[Shade]

The RC-7 may be more than you need right now, but that's not a bad thing

I used to have RF-5 mains and they worked very well with the RC-7. Just adjust the gain on the center to match the mains & you'll be fine. And if you upgrade your mains later on, you'll still have a great center to use with them.

[cjgeraci]

You should be fine. In my family room, which is our main room for movies, I run a RC-7 (DeanG modded) with RB10s and a SVS cylinder sub because the RB10s were the right size to fit on built-in bookshelves in our family room. This was more of a compromise to my wife since she did not want any more floor speakers in this room, and I was willing to compromise on this issue because I have my Heritage/Altec/SVS system downstairs (3 Belles and Valencias). For awhile, I ran RS35s on the perches, and while they were superior, the difference between the two has not been huge.

My RB10s are even smaller than the RB25s, but the system works better than you would think. Based on the number of movies I have heard on the system, I would have to disagree with TDKAmerica in that the two mains do not carry nearly the load that the center channel does - dialogue or not.

So, would you be better with RB35 or RB75s for mains? Yes. But, RB25s are not that large of an investment. I would try it out for awhile, and then if you think the RB25s cannot cut it - upgrade down the road.

But....I would much rather have a RC-7, RB25 combo for movies vs. a RC-35, RB35 combo. Having owned a variety of centers (RC3, RC35, RC7, KLF-C7, Vert. Cornwall), you are making a wise decision for your center choice. You are prioritizing well - keep it up.

Carl.

[Zen Traveler]

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On 7/9/2005 2:26:35 PM cjgeraci wrote:

...My RB10s are even smaller than the RB25s, but the system works better than you would think. Based on the number of movies I have heard on the system, I would have to disagree with TDKAmerica in that the two mains do not carry nearly the load that the center channel does - dialogue or not.

So, would you be better with RB35 or RB75s for mains? Yes. But, RB25s are not that large of an investment. I would try it out for awhile, and then if you think the RB25s cannot cut it - upgrade down the road.

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Well Zam,

There is a consensus on the RC-7.

However, I didn't say that the 2 front channels carried the same load as the center channel. What I said was "your front mains are just as important as your center channel when it comes to movies, unless all you are concerned with is dialog."

What I meant by that was if you were ONLY concerned with dialog, your front speakers wouldn't matter. As everyone has stated, an upgrade from the RB-25's will make a difference, it's just what you are expecting and are willing to accept and pay for.

I have 3 home theater systems. I have had my RF-7 for over 2 years and don't feel the need to upgrade. If I would have started with the RF-7's I could have saved money in the long run.

When I mentioned "peripheries" in my above post I sure wasn't talking about speakers! In my mind if you are going to the trouble to dedicate a whole room to "Home Theater," your speakers are one of, if not most important investment for this endeavor.

All that being said, I agree to stay on budget. If you purchase the RB-25's and are pleased, that is all that counts.

[zamboniman]

First off thanks everyone for your input.....

Budget will always be of fundamental importance.

Here's where I stand right now... I completely understand the merits of large speakers for 2 channel and multi channel music formats.. Likewise I understand why matched speakers are important for 5.1/7.1 setups.

However, in general I'm not a huge fan of large coned midrange drivers. Yes they have more bass but at the expense of the sweet upper mids and into the tweeter range. I'm NOT looking for mains that go DEEP on their own. I'll let the old SVS handle that area.

Listening so far at the store.. I really DO NOT like the RB35. It is just too muddy and heavy in the upper mid. They do JAM but if that's what you want but not good for movie dialogue. I haven't listened to the RB75 yet since they werent in the room. The RB25 seems to be pretty good.... And scary enough the RB10 sounds pretty darn good. Good enough it's at the top of my list to round out the surrounds for my room. You never hear anything about it but it's very nice for what it is.. It's not going to have lots of bass and it shouldn't. Further thoughts.... Of the RC25/35 sure the 35 had more low end.. but for dialogue and just overall sound quality the 25 beat it hands down. I was set on the RC25 to match the rest.... The worst mistake I could have made was..... Awe shoot put the RC7 on just for fun... Stupid Stupid... WOW now that's what I'm looking for.

Since I'm not looking for bottom feeding mains, the floor standers are just out right overkill. Listening to all of them with a moderate xover setting around 60hz. I can't justify them over some mid level bookshelf types. There is no doubt the RF7's are awesome.... and match the RC7 well... I just think they would be a waste for what I'm after. I'm looking for something that is awesome from 60-80hz and up.

Theoretically, I wouldn't like the RC7 due to it's driver setup, however Klipsch has done something right with this one because it sounds sweet. Detailed ... Transparent... Natural.... Has to be the large horn driver... It has what I'm looking for... Awesome movie dialogue. There is nothing I can't stand more than not being able to understand what was just said because it's burried in all the boom bang of a movie sound track... Or similar when the effects are too loud that you have to lower the overall volume... Then you can't hear the dialogue... Then you raise it and get blown away by some car passing by... The RC7 seemed to just excel at what it should....

What got me here in the first place was that missing perfect dynamic dialogue sound. I had planned to use 3 identical custom built speakers for my fronts (you can see them in the show me your theater thread). They sound awesome... but just don't have the theater presense or dialogue perfectness. In some recent trips to the local theater I said to myself.... THIS is the sound I'm looking for at home and the only way I'll get there is Klipsch. So here I am.

Who knows.. It's good to hear that someone is using RB10's with their C7. That makes me feel better. Perhaps 3 RC7's across the front would be ideal. I think someone around here ended up with that config. Too bad I can't try all these configs at home to pick the best budget to performance setup. I'll just have to spend some more time at the shop.

Anyway.. Keep the discussion and comments coming.. I'm loving the feedback on this.. Quite frankly the pending decision is eating me alive... I don't want to wish I bought the bigger ones.... And I don't want my bank account to hate me either.. But in the end if you are gonna cross them over anyway, why go crazy on some huge speakers... I do know that bigger more expensive models doesn't mean they sound better. Louder maybe... More bass maybe... Better sounding.. NOT always....

[Zen Traveler]

Well, It seems you have alot on your mind and I don't know if I can add anymore to this discussion. I will say in closing that in the Klipsch Line IMHO, bigger is better. I have no muddiness in dialog and I have extreme overkill in the speaker department (profile below). Comparatively speaking, if you are looking for "something that is awesome from 60-80hz and up," the RB-25 wouldn't fit the bill as well as the other speakers that I have mentioned.

I would not recommend 3 RC-7 in the front because of the dispersion pattern of the design. If you heard them and like them then that is a moot point. If you are considering spending that kind of money and don't want floor standers I would recommend the RB-75's over the RB-35's. Keep in mind that all of these speakers are going to sound different in your home than in the showroom. Buy what you feel the most comfortable with and don't hesitate to take them back and get something else within the return policy period.

[cjgeraci]

Final thoughts.

Sounds like you are on the right path. One of the reasons why the RC-7 sounds so good is because of the unique tapered array crossover that acts like a 2.5 way speaker, with one of the 8 inchers covering alot of the midrange duties. That plus the fact that the 2 inch compression driver and horn found in the Reference seven series is something special.

Even though it is probably out of budget, looks like you are at least intrigued by the three RC-7s or at least RB-75s as compliments to a RC-7. Frankly, I don't blame you for at least considering it. The idea of additional RC-7s as mains and surrounds has been implemented by some - with much success, and RC-7s on their ends make great mains or surrounds (superior to RB75s). You would simply remove the tractix horn and rotate it 90 degrees, and I ran a RC-7 on its end for awhile. If you are curious about the idea, do a search for some of Moon's threads - who converted his wonderful Reference theater to RC-7s for surrounds.

That being said, I've also owned RB-75s, and they are a special speaker - despite their size. Long ago, I even ran a pair for two-channel while my RF-7s were getting DeanG and while I was first shopping for separates. Again, with the wonderful horn (7 series), and a nicely balanced speaker - and much more so than the RB-35. You at least should try to listen to a pair before you make your final decision.

But, just know that if you stay on budget with a RC-7 and RB25s, it will still be pretty good.

Carl.

[Zen Traveler]

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On 7/9/2005 9:26:30 PM cjgeraci wrote:

Final thoughts.

The idea of additional RC-7s as mains and surrounds has been implemented by some - with much success, and RC-7s on their ends make great mains or surrounds (superior to RB75s) ...

...If you are curious about the idea, do a search for some of Moon's threads - who converted his wonderful Reference theater to RC-7s for surrounds.

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Here is one of those threads A good read--then decide if using 3 RC-7's across the front is a something you want to do.

http://forums.klipsch.com/idealbb/view.asp?topicID=48431&forumID=69&catID=19&search=1&searchstring=&sessionID={E21983A3-A9B3-4BE0-9432-D75F478764D5}

[colterphoto1]

go to RB35's or find RB5's used, you'll be much happier with the match than with the 25's imho.

M

[Zen Traveler]

I am sorry. I was being far too diplomatic. I just watched "The Aviator" on DVD and listened to Elton John's 'Yellow Brick Road," and REM's greatest hits on DVD-A. The difference between the RB-25's and the RF-7's (used with the RC-7) would be tantamount to the difference of being hit with a rolled up newspaper and being shot with a bazooka! If you don't want floor standing speakers, get the RB-75's (IMO, i.e., per Amy) Good luck with your decision.

[zamboniman]

Thanks everyone for the ongoing experiences and suggestions. I'll try to make it back to the shop on tues. to spend some quality time with all of them. Hopefully, the sales guy will be cool with changing up a bunch of different configs. Not all are in the same room so it will take some doin. The smaller bookshelves are in the "lower end" room.

I've got a funny feeling by months end I'll probably be forklifting those 90# RF7's into the room. However, spent some good time on finishing the room this weekend with my old speakers helping out. They are 6.5" two ways. (with more bass than the average 6.5") They fill the room out nicely just by themselves. Makes me just shake my head at the thought of those full size monsters in the room. Has to be way overkill.

If it makes a difference I'm not looking for ground breaking SPL. Just nice good sound. Oh well time and my ears will tell. Good news is that the projector is now hung! All 150 pounds of it is now on the ceiling. The motivation is now rolling to get the room done.

All that said... kicking around the idea of the RF7 and RC7 combo..... Is there an optimum listening distance for that front setup? In other words.. I'm wondering if they would even be ideal for my room size and layout. Really curious how the RB75 sounds since I haven't heard that one yet.

I'll keep you all posted. When I get a some new pics taken I'll update the "show me" thread with the latest progress.

[Zen Traveler]

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On 7/10/2005 11:33:16 PM zamboniman wrote:

..... Is there an optimum listening distance for that front setup? In other words.. I'm wondering if they would even be ideal for my room size and layout. Really curious how the RB75 sounds since I haven't heard that one yet.

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I sit 9 ft away from my front speakers, and the RF-7's are 9 ft apart.

[D-Rex]

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On 7/10/2005 3:17:13 PM colterphoto1 wrote:

go to RB35's or find RB5's used, you'll be much happier with the match than with the 25's imho.

M

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I would have to agree with Mike's assessment. I just watched a mint pair of RB5's go on EBAY for $249+ $50 for shipping. I paid $330 for my pair last year and have been very pleased with them! I can't say I have heard the RB-25s before but I don't think you can go wrong with a set of RB-5's.

D

[greg099]

I'm no Klipsch expert, but after much research here and elsewhere, I went with the RC-7 and RB-75s up front. I'm also using RS-25s for side and RB-25s for rear surrounds.

While waiting for the RB-75s to arrive, I went ahead and started using the RC-7 with the RB-25s as my fronts and RS-25s in a 5.1 setup. They sounded phenomenal and I would have been happy with the setup as it was. I watch mostly movies, but even DVD-Audio and SACD sounded incredible with this setup.

Of course, once the RB-75s arrived it was a whole different story, and I'd never want to go back. Using the RB-25s in the rear gives me great DVD-A sound and the whole system blows me away.

So the good news is, if you decide to go with the RB-25s up front they will work well, then you can move them to surround duty when you have the scratch to upgrade to the RB-75 (or RF, which to me is overkill if you have a decent Sub).

Good Luck!

Greg